The Padres are off to a horrible start, so a housecleaning might be forthcoming. Who stays and who goes?

The San Diego Padres, perhaps predictably, have gotten off to a miserable start in 2012. Although expectations were not high coming into the season, almost nothing has gone right for the club. Between injuries and ineffectiveness, not to mention ongoing ownership/television deal issues (I live 15 minutes from Petco Park and cannot watch the team on TV in my home, which might qualify as “charmingly retro” if it weren't so annoying), the Padres are staring at their worst-case scenario only a month into the campaign.

Last week, Kevin Goldsteinsuggested that a “housecleaning in San Diego could be coming.” Reader pobothecat wondered what such a housecleaning might look like, and so did I.

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The Astros will need to commit resources to sign top amateur talent if their new GM is going to successfully rebuild the team.

Two weeks ago, the Astros did some housecleaning, firing manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura, with owner Drayton McLane being quoted in the AP story as stating that the Astros "needed a fresh start." It's hard to argue with that, as the Astros are basically the National League version of the White Sox--an aging team struggling to stay out of last place just two years removed from a World Series appearance, with a minor league system that will offer little help in its current state. The Astros have been very active in their pursuit of a new helmsman, interviewing or setting up interviews with at least 11 candidates that we know of: